Staff Machine Learning Engineer - Team Lead (Active Secret Clearance)

“In 36 months, agentic AI systems will be an operating reality across major institutions. We intend to be central to it.” — Dr. Jim Rebesco, Cofounder and CEO, Striveworks

The government’s demand for AI is growing far faster than the systems required to support it. Fewer than 15% of federal AI programs have reached sustained production, despite billions of dollars invested. The models perform in testing, but they degrade in the real world. And when performance drops, trust goes with it.

Striveworks was built to solve that problem.

What you’ll build

Since 2018, we have delivered the most trusted AI systems operating in real-world use cases—providing a layer of assurance underneath hundreds of deployed models that monitors performance, manages drift, and sustains systems long after they leave the lab.

As a Staff Machine Learning Engineer, you will be both a core contributor and a customer-facing technical leader. You’ll initiate the design, build, and delivery of systems—from data shaping and analytics to end-user delivery. Customers and engineers will bring you the hard problems. You’ll turn them into working systems and see them through to execution. The work will take you into the field, where direct customer input will shape what we build next.

What it’s like here

We lead with trust, treat each other with respect, and use candor consistently, kindly, and constructively. We care deeply about our work, and we find genuine satisfaction in doing it well. Above all, we take ownership—because we feel the weight of collective results personally. We are looking for people who share these values and are eager to put them into practice.

What we’re looking for

• An advanced degree in data science, machine learning (ML), computer science, or a related discipline and 10+ years of relevant experience
• Proven ability to lead, manage, and mentor cross-functional engineering teams across office, remote, and customer environments
• Demonstrated experience defining, scoping, planning, and driving execution plans for complex, production-level technical solutions
• Strong communication skills and a track record of translating complex technical topics with clarity and professionalism to both internal engineering teams and external stakeholders 
• Broad proficiency in programming languages common to machine learning, with excellence in Python and at least one systems programming language
• Proficiency in the design and delivery of algorithms, data structures, and production analytics and in the use of design patterns in cloud environments
• Expertise in the building, training, evaluation, and/or deployment optimization of ML models
• Proficiency with modern software engineering tools and processes
• Active Secret (or above) US security clearance and US citizenship

The following isn’t required, but we’d love to see it:

• Experience with K8s and horizontally scaled architectures
• Knowledge of NATS, Kafka, RabbitMQ, or similar
• Experience building AI agents and workflows
• Experience with complex and varied data types
• Experience delivering technology solutions in secure government environments

You will be remote or hybrid out of our Austin, Texas, office. This role requires travel up to 25% of the time.

Compensation

The anticipated base pay range for this position is $210,000–$260,000/year. Striveworks’ total compensation package includes a competitive base salary, equity grants, and cash bonuses.

Benefits include:

• Medical/dental/vision insurance
• Voluntary life, long-term disability, accident, and hospital indemnity insurance
• HSA and FSA (including dependent care FSA) plans
• 401(k) plan
• Unlimited PTO
• Paid parental leave

Ready to build systems that work for a mission that matters? Let’s talk.

Striveworks is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, belief, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity or expression), national origin, social or ethnic origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors. Striveworks will not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind.

If you require assistance or a reasonable accommodation in the application process, please contact People Operations at hr@striveworks.us.

In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify their identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete an employment eligibility verification form upon hire.

Striveworks is a participating employer in the E-Verify program.